College Football
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Stanford 26, Syracuse 24
When: 7:30 PM ET, Friday, September 20, 2024
Where: JMA Wireless Dome, Syracuse, New York
Temperature: Dome
Head Official: Timot Hedgepeth
Attendance: 39290

Emmet Kenney kicked four field goals, including a 39-yarder as time expired, to send visiting Stanford to a 26-24 win over Syracuse on Friday night.

Playing in their first Atlantic Coast Conference game following a long run in the Pac-12, the Cardinal (2-1, 1-0 ACC) never trailed until the waning minutes. Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord found receiver Darrell Gill Jr. for 24 yards on third-and-17, then hooked up with Jackson Meeks for a 13-yard TD with 3:13 remaining as the hosts jumped ahead 24-23.

However, the Orange (2-1, 1-1) were unable to stop Stanford on the final possession. Ashton Daniels' 27-yard back-shoulder throw to Elic Ayomanor on fourth-and-9 set up the Cardinal at the 18-yard line, allowing Kenney to drill the winning kick in the final seconds.

McCord finished 27 of 42 for 339 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, plus a rushing score. Daniels went 23 of 38 for 178 yards with one TD and two picks.

McCord accounted for two touchdowns -- one for each team -- in the latter portions of the third quarter. With a little more than four minutes left, he was intercepted by Mitch Leigber, who returned it 71 yards to put Stanford ahead 20-10 following the extra point. However, McCord got the points right back for the Orange, scoring on a 19-yard run in which he jumped over a defender on his leap into the end zone.

McCord's second interception of the game -- this one nabbed by Jay Green -- set up the Cardinal around midfield less than a minute into the fourth quarter. The visitors drove into the red zone before settling for Kenney's 35-yard field goal that made it 23-17 with 9:19 to play.

After the teams exchanged punts to begin the contest, Stanford drove 78 yards -- capped by Ayomanor's one-handed TD grab on a 17-yard pass -- to open the scoring. Another punt by the Orange set up Kenney's 38-yard field goal to make it 10-0 early in the second quarter.

The Cardinal held a 13-3 advantage after Kenney's 51-yard field goal with 1:35 remaining in the half. Yet, that left Syracuse enough time to cash in on McCord's last-minute 67-yard TD pass to Umari Hatcher, whose defender fell down on the play.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
Rushing
Stanford   Syracuse
Chris Davis Jr. Player Lequint Allen
9 Attempts 8
79 Yards 25
8.8 Avg Yards 3.1
0 Touchdowns 0
0 Long 0
Receiving
Stanford   Syracuse
Elic Ayomanor Player Trebor Pena
7 Receptions 10
87 Yards 101
12.4 Avg Yards 10.1
1 Touchdowns 0
0 Long 0
Team Stats Summary
 
  Yards Scoring Defense
Team Tot Rus Pas TD FG INT Sck FF
Stanford 351 173 178 2 4 2 4.0 1
Syracuse 365 26 339 3 1 2 1.0 0